Electric line deicer



Nov. 9, 1948. c. H. CLEMENf 2,453,361

ELECTRIC LINE DEIC-ER Filed March 27, 1946 FIG. 1

[N VENTOR' 664/9 C/eme/77 Patented Nov. 9, 1948 ELECTRIC LINE DEICERClyde H. Clement, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application March 27, 1946, Serial No. 657,392

3 Claims.

This invention pertains to deicers for electrical transmission lines.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a gravity actuateddevice which may be installed on transmission line poles between theinsulator and the line and which will strike and vibrate the line wirewhenever it becomes loaded with ice beyond a predetermined weight.

A further object is to provide a mechanism which may easily be attachedto a line insulator, particularly the pendulum type, and will supportthe line so that when it becomes loaded with ice beyond a predeterminedlimit a counter balance will release a hammer which will strike the wiresupport so as to set up vibrations in the line and shatter the loadingice, Whereafter, the line being lightened, the counter balance andhammer will be reset to non operative position until the line againbecomes loaded with ice.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my de-icing device attached to a pendulumtype insulator.

Figure 2, an elevational view thereof in a plane transverse to the line.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts of both views.

To the bottom lug 2 of insulator 3 a depending frame 4 is attached bypin 5. The frame includes a vertical member 6 on which the beam 1 ispivoted by bearing pin 8. This beam is composed of two bars l and Hwhich straddle the lower end of member 6.

On the outer long end of this beam there is a line counter balancingweight [2 suspended on a metal strap 1 4 and pinned to the beam bybearing pin I5. The inner or shorter end of the beam carries a link l6,held by bearing pin I! at its top. A standard line wire U bolt clamp I8is pinned to the bottom end of this link. Extending inwardly beyond theinner end of beam 1 is a U- shaped hammer trip 20. The ends of this tripare Welded to the ends of the beam bars [0 and l I, the curved portionjoining these ends acts as a loop trip to engage trip prong 2| of hammer22.

A transversely and outwardly extending hook shaped frame member 23 iswelded to the upper part of frame member 6. Its outer end 24 is curveddownward and somewhat back toward the shank of member 5, and is providedwith a downwardly and inwardly extending pin slot 25.

The hammer 22 is a wedge shaped piece of metal plate drilled to receivebearing pin 26 at its upper end and provided with a trip prong 2|,extending radially from the pin axis.

It is to be noted that the main portion of weight I2 is cylindrical, butthat a pin-bolt 21 extends thru it axially, and is adapted to carry anumber of additional weight disks 28, shown in dotted outline Figure 1.Further adjustment of this weight is aiforded by a plurality of pinreceiving holes 29 positioned at intervals along the outer end of beam1.

In use the device is installed below a line insulator, as shown, andcounter weight I2 set to support the load of the line wire 30 in theposition shown in solid lines, Figure 2. Hammer 22 then assumes thedepending position similarly shown in solid lines in this figure. As theload on the line wire 30 increases due to a load of ice forming on eachadjacent line span link I6 is depressed further and further andapproaches the position indicated by dotted outline 33 as weight I2 israised toward the position indicated by dotted line 36 trip loop 20traveling in an arcuate path 3| engages hammer prong 2| at position A,and rides on it until the prong traveling in an arcuate path 34 passesout of the path of the trip at position B. The prong is then tripped andreleased and the outer portion swings from the position shown by dottedoutline 31 to the lowered position shown in solid lines where it strikesthe line clamp I8. This causes the wire 30 to vibrate and surge fromspan to span sufiicient to dislodge the weighting ice. When this dropsthe line is lightened and counter weight l2 raises the line to normalposition again, as shown by the solid lines. As the trip loop 20 swingsupward it again encounters hammer prong 2|, but is not impeded since thehammer and its prong are lifted upwardly and outwardly by reason of thepin 26 sliding in this direction in slot 25. In this way the deviceautomatically resets itself for another operation. Stop plates 38 oneach side of frame member 6 limit the motion of beam 1 as desired.

As an example, the insulator load for a span of No. 0 copper wire isapproximately pounds. The counter weight can be 25 pounds, and thehammer 14 pounds. The whole device need not exceed 40 pounds and thesaving in stresses from excess ice loads is remarkable.

While I have shown the device suspended from a pendulum type insulator,it is obvious that it may be attached to various sizes and types ofline, telephone and other insulators, for example, a C-shaped bracketcould be used to support the device above a pole top insulator. Theoperation would be the same.

In View of its various uses and adaptability I wish to be limited onlyby the following claims.

I claim:

1. A deicer for electrical lines comprising a frame adapted toattachment to a pole insulator having a vertical member and an outwardlyextending member, a beam pivotally mounted on said vertical member,having a counter weight on its outer end and a depending link on itsinner end, a line wire clamp attached to the lower end of said link, anda hammer pivotally mounted on said outwardly extending frame member inan outwardly and upwardly extending slot therein, a trip prong extendingradially from the axis of said hammer support, a trip loop carried onthe inner end of said beam adapted to engage said hammer prong during aportion of its downward arcuate travel whereby said hammer is raised andreleased at the limit of said travel so that said hammer will fall andstrike said line wire clamp; said hammer being supported so as to moveout of the way of said trip during its upward arcuate swing.

2. A deicer for electrical lines comprising, a frame adapted forattachment to a pole insulator, a line balancing beam pivotallyoperative thereon, a line counterweight positioned on one end of saidbeam and a trip loop and line wire supporting link pivotally attached tothe other end, a hammer pivotally mounted on said frame to swing from ahorizontally extended raised position to a depending position contactinga line wire carried on said link, a trip prong on said hammer positionedto engage said trip loop thruout a portion of its downward arcuatetravel thereby raising said hammer to extended position, and todisengage said loop at a predetermined position along said arcuatetravel whereby said hammer is released to descend and strike the linewire on said link, and means for raising said prong out of the way ofsaid loop to allow free upward arcuate travel thereof.

3. A deicer for electrical lines comprising, a frame for support on apole insulator, a line counter-balancing beam, operative thereon,adapted to carry the line wire in normal raised position when free ofice and in lowered position when loaded with ice, a hammer mounted onsaid frame adapted to swing from raised extended position to a loweredposition in striking contact with said line wire, and mechanismincluding 00- acting elements on said hammer and beam to raise saidhammer as said beam is lowered by ice load on said line, an escapementto release said hammer from a predetermined raised position so that itfalls to line wire striking position and reset mechanism arranged topermit said beam to return to normal position with said hammer inlowered position when said line wire is free of ice.

CLYDE H. CLEMENT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 485,980 France Dec. 4, 1917 303,620Germany Feb. 9, 1918

